The Commerce Police department made six felony drug arrests last week, all because the suspects attracted police attention with traffic violations.

Three of them were in one vehicle traveling southbound on U.S. 441 with a very shattered windshield.

The driver of the vehicle, Joey Loundase Wilbon, 28, of P.O. Box 441, Comer, told the officer he was trying to get the windshield fixed. Unfortunately for him, the officer noticed bits of suspected marijuana clinging to Wilbon’s shirt.

According to the arrest report, Wilbon said the residue was from marijuana use the night before. At the officer’s request, Wilbon consented to a search of the vehicle, where the officer allegedly found a plastic bag containing crack cocaine under a back seat.

The two passengers, Ricky Franklin, 28, 205 Moss Street, Washington, and Joshua Laron Mattox, 23, 736 Clairmont Avenue, Comer, along with Wilbon, all denied knowledge and ownership of the drugs. All were charged with possession of crack cocaine.

Failure to maintain a lane led to another crack cocaine charge.

According to the arrest report, an officer pulled over William Dale Gray, 40, 1162 Dan Waters Road, Commerce, at about 10:45 one night on Ila Road at Madison Street, for failure to maintain a lane.

The officer reported noting that Gray was sweating profusely, which he said Gray attributed to nervousness because he did not have a driver’s license.

But the officer also noted the smell of alcohol and Gray’s glassy and red eyes. He asked Gray how much he’d had to drink. Two beers, Gray said. The officer observed a 12-ounce beer can in a cup holder.

In a search of the vehicle, the officer said he found a cigarette pack in the passenger-side seat that contained crack cocaine — and a second 12-ounce beer can in the back seat.

The report said Gray tested positive at a .204 blood/alcohol content at the police station.

He was charged with possession of crack cocaine, driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol, failure to maintain a lane, violation of the open container law and a windshield violation.

It was simple stupidity that got two other suspects in trouble.

An officer pulled over a vehicle driven by Tyler Grant Pattman, 18, 53 Woodbine Street, Commerce, for driving without a headlight in the vicinity of Jefferson Road near Clayton Street just after 11 p.m.
Upon approaching the vehicle, the officer said he noticed the overwhelming smell of raw marijuana and summoned backup. Neither occupant was wearing a seat belt, the officer noticed. Just before the second officer arrived, the passenger, Brandon Dewayne Maddox, 28, 964 G.W. Wilson Road, Nicholson, jumped out and fled.

The second officer arrived, and the first officer gave chase, catching Maddox when the suspect fell, according to the report.

Back at the pulled-over vehicle, the second officer reported finding a plastic grocery bag that contained five bags of marijuana, a set of digital scales and 37 plastic baggies commonly used to distribute marijuana.
Police charged Pattman with felony possession of marijuana, failure to wear a seat belt, the headlight violation and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. They charged Maddox with failure to wear a seat belt, the two marijuana charges and obstruction of officers.

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